Anti-pain effect and mechanism of plant extracts in sensitive skin: A review

Abstract

Sensitive skin pain has different pain symptoms and manifestations that negatively affect individuals' health, causing suffering, both physically and mentally, and reducing their quality of life. Plant extracts have multi-component, multi-target, and low side-effect therapeutic characteristics, and are widely used as analgesic drugs, providing new strategies for alleviating pain. However, there is a scarcity of studies summarizing the mechanisms by which plant extracts alleviate pain in sensitive skin. This article provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms underlying sensitive skin pain and summarizes the main mechanisms and signaling pathways modulated by different plant extracts and compounds isolated from plants, with particular focus on the potential effects of these extracts on pain resistance in sensitive skin. Natural plant extracts have the potential to alleviate sensitive skin pain by repairing the skin barrier, reducing inflammation, regulating ion channels, decreasing vascular reactivity, and regulating emotions, and in doing so bring hope for a promising future in the management of sensitive skin pain.